Chapter 6: Ancient China
Page 160-191
Did you know…
Modern Chinese writing is very complex.
While the English alphabet uses 26 letters
to spell words, there are more than 1,000
basic characters in the Chinese language.
Characters are combined to represent
more complex idea. By some estimates,
there are 40,000 characters in the Chinese
writing system.
Reading Check
Section 6-1
• What are China’s 2 major rivers?
•According to ancient stories what is the first Chinese
Civilization?
• Which is the first Chinese Dynasty for which we
have clear evidence?
• Other than organizing society, what was
the most important invention of China’s
first Dynasty?
Shang Order
• King at the center (political and religious)
• Royal Family and Nobles (served the king
as advisors and owned much of the land
and passed wealth/power to sons)
• Artisans (lived outside city in specialized
groups
• Farmers (worked long hours, but had little
money)
The Zhou Dynasty and New
Ideas
The Big Idea
Confucius and other philosophers taught ways to deal with
social and political problems in ancient China.
Main Ideas
• The Zhou (Joe) dynasty expanded China but then
declined.
• Confucius offered ideas to bring order to Chinese society.
• Daoism and Legalism also gained followers.
The Zhou Political System
• The Zhou people worked with other tribes to overthrow
the Shang dynasty in the 1100s BC.
• Zhou leaders believed that their rulers were mandated by
heaven, and that heaven would find another leader when
necessary.
• A new political order was established: the king granted
plots of land to lords, who in turn provided soldiers and
paid taxes to the king. Poor farmers were granted land as
well, and remained under the rule of the lords.
• The lords helped Zhou rulers keep control of the dynasty.
Decline of the Zhou Dynasty
• As the lords’ power grew, they became uninterested in
serving Zhou rulers. Many refused to fight against Zhou
enemies.
• In 771 BC, the Zhou suffered a loss to invaders. The
dynasty survived, but morale weakened, and the Zhou
began to fight among themselves.
• The Warring States Period marked power struggles
between the ruling-class families.
• Problems within the government paralleled problems
within large family systems, which were breaking down.
Bonds of loyalty weakened within even small families, and
disorder fell upon China.
Confucianism
Moral Values
Disgusted with the rude and insensitive
nature of the people around him, Confucius
pushed for a return to ethics, or moral
values.
The Analects
This code of ethics was passed down and
written in a book. These stories focused on
morality, family, society, and government.
Leading by
Example
One of the major ideas Confucius put forth
for the success of both family and
government was leading by example.
Confucius believed that when people
behaved well and acted morally, they were
carrying out what heaven expected of them.
Read the excerpt on page 170 from
The Analects
Two Schools of Thought
Daoism
• Daoism comes from Dao,
meaning “the way.”
• Daoists believed that
people should avoid
interfering with nature or
each other.
• Laozi wrote The Way and
Its Power, a book teaching
that power and wealth are
unnecessary.
Legalism
• Legalism is the political
philosophy that people
need to be controlled.
• It is unconcerned with
religion or individual
thought, and prepared
always for war.
• Legalists put their ideas
into practice throughout
China.
Primary Source
Reading
Instructions:
• Read the primary source carefully and answer
the questions.
• Underline in the reading where you found the
answers to the questions.
• Turn completed Primary Source as an exit ticket
The Qin Dynasty
The Big Idea
The Qin (Chin) dynasty unified China with a strong
government and a system of standardization.
Main Ideas
• The first Qin emperor created a strong but strict
government.
• A unified China was created through Qin policies and
achievements.
Shi Huangdi
• The Legalist Qin king Yin Zheng took the throne in 221 BC and
gave himself the title Shi Huangdi, which means “first emperor.”
• He burned all books and writings that dealt with any practice other
than Legalism.
• He created a strict government with harsh punishments.
• He used his armies to expand the empire and ensured that there
would be no more revolts in the new territory.
• He claimed all power and took land away from the lords.
Commoners were forced to work on government building projects.
• China was divided into districts with their own governors.
Unified China
Politics
• Shi Huangdi took
complete control
of the land and
the people.
• There was a
strict chain of
command.
• Taxes and
building projects
were introduced.
Culture
Finance
• Shi Huangdi set
up a uniform
system of law.
• Gold and copper
coins were
standardized.
• Rules and
punishment,
writing styles,
and money were
consistent across
China.
• Uniform weights
and measures
help standardize
trade and other
legal issues.
Qin Achievements
Building Projects
• Massive government building projects gave jobs to many poor
workers.
• New roads were built and maintained to provide easy access
to and from these buildings.
Water Systems
• Canals were built to connect rivers and keep trade fast and
efficient.
• Irrigation systems that are still in use today watered the fields
and made more land good for farming.
The Great Wall Of China
• The Great Wall was built to protect the country from invasion.
• The Great Wall linked previously built walls across China’s
northern frontier.
• The building of the wall required years of labor from hundreds of
thousands of laborers.
The Fall of the Qin:
The Oppressed Rise Up
• Many scholars, peasants, and nobles grew resentful of Shi
Huangdi’s harsh policies and complete control.
• Upon the death of Shi Huangdi, the country began to
unravel.
• Rebel groups fought among themselves, and eventually the
Qin capital was burned to the ground.
• With no authority present, the country fell into civil war
again.
Summarize this slide
What do you remember?
Who was the “First Emperor” of the Qin Dynasty?
What philosophy (idea) did the first emperor follow?
How did the first emperor unify China?
What did the first emperor have built protect China from invasion?
Who was made consistent in China?
What happened to China when the first emperor died?
Chinese Dynasties
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqHR1uAc_-Q
OR
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_o3GFcCYX4E
• Create a song, rap, or poem to remember the order of the
Chinese Dynasties and important people and major
achievements
• Must include the following dynasties and achievements:
– Xia, Shang, Zhou, Qin, Han
•
•
•
•
Song, Rap, or Poem Must Be Typed
Must rhyme or flow with beat/tune
Can be a parody
Optional:
– Group (Up to 3 people per group)
– Extra Credit (Recording, Video, or Animations of Song, Rap, or
Poem)
Due: November 16, 2012